Paracord comparison chart

[JonathanOtt]

Here's a nice chart from Paracord Planet.

Curious about what paracord style you should use on your new, home-sewn parachute?

https://www.paracordplanet.com/cord-comparison-chart/

550 Paracord
https://www.paracordplanet.com/paracord/550-nylon-paracord/
550 Paracord is our most popular variety because it offers a great balance of strength and flexibility. It has countless uses and is perfect for crafting bracelets, repairing clothing, constructing handle wraps, and for hunting, fishing, and camping.

We offer standard 550 and also Military Spec cord (cord that has undergone more rigorous strength and durability testing).

• Certified type III nylon paracord
• 550 lb. tensile strength
• 4 mm diameter
• 7 Inner strands

Nano Paracord

Nano Paracord is our thinnest cord but it has no shortage of great uses. It's small size means that large amounts can be packed into a very small space. This little cord can be used for crafting smaller bracelets and jewelry, as well as for certain emergency situations where a high strength rating is not necessary.

• Certified type I nylon paracord
• 36 lb. tensile strength
• .75 mm diameter
• 0 Inner strands

Micro Paracord

Micro goes great by itself or with our 550 cord for a little added color for any woven Paracord patterns. Its a strong little cord that has just a many potential uses as our popular 550 cord. Our favorite uses for the Micro Paracord have been for Paracord necklaces and laced cobra bracelets.

• Certified type I nylon paracord
• 90-100 lb. tensile strength
• 1.18 mm diameter
• 0 Inner strands

95 Paracord

95 paracord falls between our 275 and Micro cord. While it is thicker than micro cord, it has the same tensile strength. It has only one inner strand, making it a highly flexible cord. This thin cord is used for countless projects such as macramé, bracelets, wind chimes and many other weaving projects.

• Certified type I nylon paracord
• 100 lb. tensile strength
• 1.75 mm diameter
• 1 inner strands

275 Paracord

275 paracord is unique in that it is one of our stiffest paracords. It packs 5 core strands inside its 2 mm sheath and has about a 7" standout. This thin cord is great for crafting and repairing. It works especially well for small paracord projects such as kids bracelets, keychains, and lanyards.

• Certified type II nylon paracord
• 275 lb. tensile strength
• 2 mm diameter
• 5 inner strands

325 Paracord

325 paracord is a happy medium between micro and the traditional 550 cord. It is perfect for projects where you need a thinner cord, but still require strength and durability, such as smaller bracelets, boot laces, belts, keychains, leashes, and other crafting projects.

• Certified type II nylon paracord
• 325 lb. tensile strength
• 2 mm diameter
• 3 inner strands

425 Paracord

425 paracord is noticeably thinner than 550, in spite of the mere millimeter difference. It's great for projects where 550 paracord is just a little too thick.

• Certified type II nylon paracord
• 425 lb. tensile strength
• 3 mm diameter
• 3 inner strands

650 Paracord

While this paraocord falls between 550 and 760 in name and diameter, it's weight rating is a little bit of an anomaly. We offer three varieties of 650:

Standard 650: Great for crafting and adding bulk to projects. Puffy inner strands do not flatten like standard paracord.

• Nylon
• 350 lb. tensile strength
• 4 mm diameter
• 4 puffy filler strands

Coreless 650: Here due to popular demand! Perfect choice for most handle wraps and weaving projects.

• Nylon
• 1.5 mm thick
• 5 mm wide

Parapocalypse: The ultimate survival paracord! This cord is your all-in-one wilderness survival kit. Includes waxed jute strand for tinder, 10 lb. monfilament fishing line, high strength Dyna X cord, and Nano Aramid fire resistant 110 lb. cord.

• Nylon
• 625 lb. tensile strength
• 4 mm diameter
• 7 inner strands
• includes: waxed jute, fishing line, Dyna X, and Nano Aramid (see description)

750 Paracord

Bigger and better than 550 paracord, 750 is the strongest tactical paracord available. Slightly thicker than 550 paracord, 750 paracord is 26% stronger. It is used for countless projects such as belts, leashes, emergencies, and heavier duty projects.

• Certified type IV nylon paracord
• 750 lb. tensile strength
• 5 mm diameter
• 11 Inner strands

1/4 Para-Max Cordhttps://www.paracordplanet.com/paracord/para-max-cord/

Para-Max paracord is the biggest and beefiest paracord. The strongest type on the market, it's an essential for any emergency survival kit. Great for towing, hiking, hunting, pet toys, horse halters, and outdoor projects.

• Certified type IV paracord
• 32 strand woven nylon outer sheath
• 1,200 lb. tensile strength
• 1/4" diameter
• 3 Inner strands

5/16 Para-Max

Para-Max paracord is the biggest and beefiest paracord. The strongest type on the market, it's an essential for any emergency survival kit. Great for towing, hiking, hunting, pet toys, horse halters, and outdoor projects. 5/16 Para-Max is just as durable as 1/4 Para-Max, just a little thicker.

• Certified type IV paracord
• 32 strand woven nylon outer sheath
• 1,200 lb. tensile strength
• 5/16 diameter
• 6 inner strands

Battle Cord

The toughest paracord, this cord has a 2650 lb. tensile strength. Less stretchy and less flexible than other varieties, this is one tough cord! Each inner strand has a strength of 340 lb!

• Nylon
• 2650 lb. tensile strength
• 5.6 mm diameter
• 7 inner strands, each with 350 lb. tensile strength

1/32” Elastic Cord

1/32” Shock Cord is dependable, tough and stretchy. It is used for countless projects such as DIY jewelry, gift wraps, home décor, bracelets, display cards, scrap-booking, name tags and masks.

• Braided sleeve
• 1/32" diameter
• 3 inner strands

1/16” Elastic Cord

1/16” Elastic Cord is dependable, tough and stretchy. It is used for countless projects such as DIY jewelry, gift wraps, home décor, bracelets, display cards, scrap-booking, name tags and masks.

• Braided sleeve
• 1/16" diameter
• 6 inner strands

1/8” Shock Cord

1/8” Shock Cord is manufactured for its elastic qualities and integral strength resistance while elongated. It is used for countless projects such as bungee straps, cargo nets, hammocks, securing items, and transporting boxes. It can also be used as an elastic core for a traditional paracord bracelet, so it can slide over your hand without using a buckle closure.

• Nylon
• 100 lb. tensile strength
• 1/8" diameter
• 12 inner strands
• Absorbs shock

1/4” Shock Cord

1/4” Shock Cord is manufactured for its elastic qualities and integral strength resistance while elongated. It is used for countless projects such as bungee straps, cargo nets, hammocks, securing items, and transporting boxes.

• Nylon
• 210 lb. tensile strength
• 1/4" diameter
• 48 inner strands
• Absorbs shock

 

[cwbullet]

This is a great review of paracord.

 

[gtg738w]

Great source, thanks.

 

[Banzai88]

None of the above. Dacron kite cord is lighter, smaller, more supple. A roll of 250lb and a roll of 500lb will cover just about ANY parachute size you'd ever want to make as a lifetime supply.

 

[Handeman]

None of the above. Dacron kite cord is lighter, smaller, more supple. A roll of 250lb and a roll of 500lb will cover just about ANY parachute size you'd ever want to make as a lifetime supply.

+1 on this

I bought a 3000 ft roll of 150 lb. Dacron cord (same cord used on 1" blinds) for $15 years back. I've used it on countless chutes up to 60" and still have most of the roll left. I would probably use more gores, meaning more than 8 lines for any chutes larger then 60".

 

[caveduck]

I've got some fairly extensive documentation on various kinds of line in my OpenRocket parts/materials database in https://github.com/dbcook/openrocket-database/blob/master/orc/generic_materials.orc starting around line #940, including both kevlar and nylon cord, with emphasis on rated strengths, and citations from the upstream manufacturers including Franklin Braid, Emmakites, Paracord Planet, and MIL-C-5040H.

 

[JonathanOtt]

None of the above. Dacron kite cord is lighter, smaller, more supple. A roll of 250lb and a roll of 500lb will cover just about ANY parachute size you'd ever want to make as a lifetime supply.

+1 on this

I bought a 3000 ft roll of 150 lb. Dacron cord (same cord used on 1" blinds) for $15 years back. I've used it on countless chutes up to 60" and still have most of the roll left. I would probably use more gores, meaning more than 8 lines for any chutes larger then 60".

Thanks for your input gentlemen, but this is just an info-graphic for those that want to, and like to, use paracord. Everyone that makes their own parachutes has a shroud line preference. Yours is Dacron. Mine is paracord (mainly for the convenience of purchasing (at Hobby Lobby) and the available colors). I'm not wrong; you're not wrong. [Coke~Pepsi; Chevy~Ford; Right Twix~Left Twix, ad infinitum...]

 

[cwbullet]

It would be helpful to have the weight on the infographic.

 

[JonathanOtt]

It would be helpful to have the weight on the infographic.

Yeah, they don't even have the weights of the cords in their respective pages.

 

[caveduck]

My OR file tabulates the weights of the common paracord sizes from 95# up. Most of that data is from franklinbraid.com and MIL-STD-5040C. Short story, the 550 size is about 6.6 gm/meter and the others scale more or less linearly with the cross section area of the cord.